Criminal case over negligence opened against guards of the Moscow prison after a murder suspect escaped

The suspect had fled just before his trial

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MOSCOW, May 7 (Itar-Tass) - The Investigative Committee /SK/ opened criminal proceedings against guards of the Matrosskaya Tishina remand prison, after a murder suspect escaped earlier on Tuesday. The SK noted that the suspect had fled just before his trial.

"A criminal case over negligence was opened against personnel of remand prison # 1, which enabled a dangerous criminal to escape justice," spokesman of the SK department for Moscow Sergei Stukalov told Itar-Tass.

"The prison break occurred due to improper performance of their duties by prison personnel. Topalov is accused of serious crimes, such as the murder of two persons and weapon trafficking. He escaped just before his trial. At present, investigative actions are underway at the remand prison, aimed at ascertaining all the circumstances of the incident and the identities of the officials whose negligence allowed the defendant to escape," he added.

Separately, the SK will handle a criminal case over Topalov's escape.

Oleg Topalov, 22, a resident of Sochi, apparently escaped in the early hours of Tuesday. His absence was detected as guards were making rounds of cells at 05:00, Moscow time.

Representative of the Moscow department of the Federal Penitentiary Service Sergei Tsygankov said Topalov had escaped through a hole made in the ceiling of the cell. He climbed on the roof of the two-story building and got over the prison fence.

Topalov has been kept in remand prison since October 17, 2011, on charges of involvement in murder.

Prison personnel describe him as "inclined to escapes and mental deviations."